has opened on the clematis Wee Willy Winkie thats at the bottom of the back garden fence, in fact there are a few have opened up today on this clematis in the warm spring sun, just thought I would share as I was delighted with it this morning.Link

since my last posting, where does time go??? There isn't enough hours in the days sometimes I reckon.

Thankyou everyone for your good wishes for my speedy recovery, I have gone back to work now and feel much better, just a lingering cough, but that is of no matter.Well I haven't been stitching an awful lot really, I have managed to get a good start on mums NRR and I have also nearly finished this weeks target for Bunnies.My other project this week has been Shepherds Bush Columbine Sampler, its been on my to do pile forever and as I was in the SB mood I thought I would stitch it, I'm about a third of the way through it, its not a huge project and I have actually done something I have never done before and thats Drawn Thread work on it.It was fun to do. The other side matches but I haven't done that yet and I have only made a small start on the border, hopefully I'll get it done by the end of the weekend and then I want to do this months Ornie SAL that I'm doing with Romy, but I haven't picked yet which I would like to do. Tomorrow I will have a picture of the Mailart exchange I have done as I intend to send it then, or maybe I should wait with that pic as I know Sandra comes and reads my blog sometimes>

I am almost half way through this weeks SAL target, we are doing the needle fob this week, I still have the other side to stitch which is the cute bunny and the year and of course the flower middles and a beak and eye, but I reckon I will hit target again as its such a quick stitch.

This is as far as I have got on mums (Veronicas) Neighbourhood RR, The house is taken from Daisy Lane Cottage chart by Little House Needleworks, I stitched the roof using DMC flower thread and the main body of the house is stitched with DMC Linen thread, still a way to go yet as I am still planning the garden in my head, but I'm pleased with it so far - hope mum will be.

Before I forget, if you haven't had chance yet to visit my sister Helens blog go have a look if you have time, she is new to blogging and her blog is beautiful, I know she is intending to update again soon with some more of her lovely works - (she stitches much nicer than I).

I would like to wish everyone a much belated but heartfelt Happy Easter, I hope that you all had a great break. I know we did, we were busy with the garden Marks nephews came and gave us a hand to pull out a rather gigantic cordyline tree, it was supposed to be dwarf but it kept growing and growing til it has become rather too large for our small garden and so it had to come out, and then the 'boys' built a new water feature which I am so pleased with, I will take photos of when its settled down and my plants have settled around it. Snce then we have settled down to a 'flu' infested household again, I went back to wotk Tuesday to come home again 3hrs later and feeling like I am dying, Mark started last night, so I am at the very hot and yukky stage now and feeling very sorry for myself, so Tuesday and yesterday was spent sleeping.

Sewing wise I have completed the next stage of the 'Bunnies' SAL I knew I would have to change something, I just knew I would, its the bird I didn't feel the blue for the main part was different enough and so I have stitched mine in Blueberry Grunt by OWS, hope Ellen doesn't mind my colour change and I am now looking forward to the next part.

Next I made myself a wee pinkeep - this was my quick Easter project, The design is stitched on 32ct hand-dyed fabric from Sugar Maple it was one of their one of colours, the design is called 'Bunny Hop' by Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and I used Heavenly Hues threads and added the charm, the back of the pinkeep is an alphabet taken off a chart by Isabelle Vautier, it was exactly the perfect size to fit and again its stitched with Heavenly Hues thread. The ribbon I used to edge is a silk ribbon by Polstitches, there wasn't enough really o do what I wanted so I had to gather it instead, I thought it looked OK. Other progress?? Well I have done a wee bit of tidying up with my stash but haven't the inclination or energy to much more and I have also started on mums Neighbourhood RR, my first house choice was too small and so have picked another and have started to sew it now, Woodland Walk has had no progress for a fortnight and hopefully this weekend will see me back on track.

I have done a wee bit of blog surfing but not a lot so apologies if I haven't visited, I do appreciate everyone visiting mine and I welcome all comments its nice to be in such a friendly virtual community.

I have found a blog or rather was directed to a blog Kissy crossthat has started a mystery if you read down a little its in English, otherwise its in German, this looks like its going to be a pretty one, its going to be updated on the 15th of every month, hope you like this one, I know I did, and I have added it to my ever growing 'want to stitch list' LOL!!!

... by my friend ChristineShe has made me the most beautigul hanging pillow, its so lovely I was very touched to receive it, I never seem to get much stitched gifts from people and this one was truely lovely. - Merci Christine.

Also I would like to say welcome to my sister Helen she has joined us all in blogging land and has started a blog which is lovely, and I'm really pleased she has done this, cos she stitches beautifully and I know she is bound to share pics of her beautiful home.

Whoopeee! I was so excited this morning when the postman arrived My parcel had come from Jaynes attic for Jaynes 40th she had organised a 40 stash pack for sale, its full of 40 things, poor Jayne has had delays with one part of the pack and we have been holding on and holding on for it as she had wanted to send during March, but in the end she has sent it now for us and sending on the stash thats held up the pack as soon as it arrives, Its a wonderful pack full of hand-dyes and some charts and fabric. I have not included in my picture a couple of things as I want to give them as gifts, but as you can see this is a wonderful package and we still have 10 more items to arrive which I am so looking forward to.

Here is Pussies Willow a cute freebie by CEC, I have wanted to stitch this for ages. I've finished before Easter with it being egg shaped - but although I love it and was happy with it when I had finished stitching, finishing it into an ornie proved harder to keep the egg shape so its a bit skew wiff, but I think its still cute - might send it as a wee gift to a family member - can't say more than that. Its stitched on 32ct linen using SSS - Tandy for the background, Squirel gray by Dragonfloss for the pussies the rest is using DMC. Used a sheer voile ribbon for the hanger and the tails.Link

I know I'm spoiled, my friend Gels who lives in the U.S.A has sent me this wonderful box today - OK not today but I received it today, we periodically send each other a box of goodies, but boy have I been spoiled, I got Cedar Hills Herb garden sampler which I have wanted for the longest time, a lovely Trilogy with the sentiment being friendship, (we have been epals now for about 6-7 years and not yet met up - nearly did tho'), some smellies, and fun pasta, a trifles and tokens card to stitch which is wonderful, and WDW - Gels has been helping me collect these for ages and I owe much to her sending that I have the collection of them I have got.A lovely wooden and tin box with a bee on it - she knows me well as bees and hives are among my very favourite things. -THANKYOU GELS Link

I have joined this SAL on stitching smalls board, its such a lovely one to do, and today I have managed to finish the first weeks target (its supposed to be ready for tomorrow), so I am pleased with myself that I have hit the target, its a quick stitch really to do and I started it on Thursday night and stitched for a couple of hours. I am stitching it on the recommended fabric 32ct Summer Khaki and using the recommended threads (OWS), apart from the green which is supposed to be Solitude green and where I ordered it from didn't have any, so I am using WDW - Ivy instead.

Well seing as Blogger still won't upload my pictures, I'll use Picassa instead today, so you'll all still have to wait to see my HE finish and DT finish.

This is a picture of my progress to date of Woodland Walk - DMC which is for Mark, it seems very slow going and I don't feel that I have done a lot since the last picture update, maybe because its not my usual type of design I like to stitch, but its making him indoors happy.

Here is my Homespun Elegance finish, it was such a nice one to stitch and I had been promising myself for ages I would do it. Its called Olde Shaker Poem, I stitched it using the recommended threads (I know thats surprising for me) and its on 28ct linen done 2/2. I finished it last Friday and I intend to make it into a proper sized cushion, which if I've time I will do over the weekend.

Now my absence has partly been due to my sprained thumb which is feeling much better now thankyou, I did it on the seatbelt in our car, it keeps sticking and won't go in properly into the catch and so it got stuck and I got mad and the orange button thingy popped back out again and hit the top of my thumb and I twisted it, so I'm blaming Mark as its his car and I've been moaning about it for ages LOL!!

I saw thatCarol has made a start on my RR, and she is doing the PS Birdhouse which I really wanted and it looks brilliant, I was ever so chuffed about it when I saw that she was doing it for me.

I have been stitching the mailart for an exchange I'm involved in, I was going to post a picture but I haven't quite finished it and I don't want to spoil the surprise in case Sandra visits my blog (tho' I don't think she does) and posting out date is for the end of the month. I have also been stitching on the last leg of the DT RR, I was left with Winter Spot as Wanda had chosen the seasonal spots for her RR, it was a nice one to stitch and only used 4 colours it was also very quick to stitch, I hope she likes it and the charm I have added. Marie-Louise has told me she is stitching mine at the moment, I can't wait for it to come home.Now what else are my plans, I want to stitch Sheepish Designs - Ewe Alone and I still want to do Brighneedles - Friendship so I can't decide which to do this month and anyway I will always change my mind, I'm doing the Stitching Smalls SAL this month of Bunnies in the Garden, I hope to start that tomorrow and get my first weeks target completed by Sunday and I also have my ornie to stitch in the next week as I'm doing a SAL with Romyfor ornaments.

.. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, I've just been really busy of late and I managed to sprain my right thumb, which is my stitching hand, will post up some pics tomorrow of what I have been stitching, which has been very slow and painful.">Link